Improvement in clothes-pins



W. H. MAYO.

CLOTHES-PINS.

No.183,312. Patented Oct.31, 1876.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. MAYO, OF ST. JOSEPH, MICHIGAN.

IMPROVEMENT IN CLOTHES-PINS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 183.8 12, dated October 31, 1876; application filed June 26, 1876.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WM. H. MAYO of St. Joseph, in the county of Berrien and tate of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clothes-Pins; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The nature of my invention consists in the construction and arrangement of a clothespin, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the annexed drawing, Figure l is a side elevation of my clothes-pin in position on the line. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the same.

A represents the clothes-pin, made of one piece of wood of suitable dimensions, in shape similar to the first two fingers and thumb of a persons hand, the thumb B being rigid, and formed by making a slit, 1), about threefourths the length of the piece of wood, at suitable distance from the edge to give the required strength, when about one-third of this outer strip is out 01f, forming the thumb, which is corrugated or notched on the inner side, as shown at a a. The first finger, O, is formed by making a second slit, d, of about the same length, and at a suitable distance from the first to form a flexible finger, leaving sufficient wood on the opposite edge to form the second and rigid finger, D, which is cut away at the lower end, leaving a V-shaped slot between the two fingers, the whole making a self-adjusting clothes-pin.

The mode of operation is as follows: Grasp the pin by the ends of the fingers O D, and press them together, which causes the first finger, G, to recede from the thumb B, when said thumb is merely hooked over the line and the pin drawn downward as far as it will go without forcing. When it is released from the hand of the operator, the first finger, O, springs forward and grasps the line, and holds the clothes with a firm gripe between the thumb and forefinger until released by a similar operation.

The clothes-pin thus constructed is substantial, durable, and easily operated without injuring the most delicate garments.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A clothes-pin made of a single piece of wood, with a rigid corrugated thumb, B, on one side, a rigid finger, D, on the other side, and an intermediate flexible finger, 0, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WM. H. MAYO. Witnesses:

J. W. BREMER, GEo. JENNINGS. 

